Arcforge
by Lampoon Morgan
Summary: In the wild world of civilized Pokémon, the city of Seafree bears internal conflict. Tension rises between the loyalists and resistance to a corrupted king's court, and a Glaceon blacksmith gets caught up in the middle of it. Tune in to the efforts of Randolph the young blacksmith and his friends in the resistance, and their journey to correct the corrupted king's court.
1. Chapter 1: Enter Seafree

**Hey readers, I'm Lampoon, Lamp for short. Since its the first chapter, I'll be curt. This is my first post but not my first time writing, so please help me better my story as I update. Thank you!**

 **Pokémon is not owned by me.**

o - o - o - o - o

Down in the urban area of the big city Seafree, loud noises emanated from a forge. From within, skillful blue paws quenched a burning piece of metal in a trough of water. Withdrawing the piece after a hot second, the blue-pawed blacksmith brought the piece over to a grindstone and began to sharpen the soon-to-be blade. Once it had achieved a sharpness on all sides of it, he placed it on a nearby workbench and brought out his engraving tools. Thoroughly, he carved letters into it and brushed off the metal scraps.

A Machoke peeked his head through a window of the small metal shop, asking, "Hey Randolph! Is my blade done yet?"

Blue paws belonging to a Glaceon stopped polishing the blade, and their owner turned around and yelled back, "Give me a damn second Toby!" Getting back to polishing. Finishing, he looked at the result of his efforts. A long sword with a four-foot blade and the words 'Arcforge' engraved on it rested in the Glaceon's paws. Quickly, he carried it to the window of his shop and placed it on the counter.

Toby was there on the other side, smiling. "You never cease to amaze me with your skills, Randolph. How much do I owe you?" He said this, taking out a coin pouch.

The Glaceon thought for a moment, then answered, "I'll cut you a deal because you come here so often- how does 120 Kopi sound? That's also including the order of twenty short swords, of course."

Taking pieces out of his pouch, the Machoke nodded, "Fair. You'll probably drive me to poverty one day, but it's worth it for these blades." He leaned in closer, and looking around, quietly said, "Thanks for helping out our cause again, Randolph. None of the other smiths in the city would help us out- they're either loyalist scum or too scared they'd get caught."

Returning from the back of the shop carrying two bundles of swords, Randolph nodded. He placed the two collections in two oiled sacks respectively, then put them on the counter. "It's no problem, Toby. You know how I feel about the King's court."

"True, true. But nonetheless, you are a crucial member of our rebellion. Thank you for staying with us. See you around," the Machoke said and jogged off with the two bundles and sword. Randolph looked to see him get safely to a bar known to be a safe place for rebels.

Done with the day's work, Randolph lay down on a wooden bench. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and panted with his tongue out. In an attempt to cool himself down from the intense heat of the forge, he blew an icy breeze across his blue paws and patted himself down. _Too bad I can't do much more of this ice control. I don't know whether my powers are over going to manifest. But to be fair, there are probably benefits to not having them either._

Randolph thought about the indirect consequences of his deficiency. "The city guard doesn't keep too much of a watch over me, I guess I seem less of a threat," he said to himself and pondered a bit more. "Probably the best part is that full-on Glaceons need an ice biome to live properly, but since I lack a bit, I can stand the heat of this forge."

"Who are you talking to?" Randolph sat up and glanced out the window to see who was asking. Looking right back at him, a male Sylveon smiled widely and waved his ribbons. "Hi, Randolph! Check it out, I just got a new idea for my ribbons!" The Sylveon jumped over the counter and proceeded to arrange the ribbons into a bow tie on his shoulder.

The Glaceon laughed a bit, and returned the friendly gesture, saying, "Looking quite dapper, Pepper. Who knows, with a look like that, you could get me to go on a date with you." A contained reaction could be seen in the Sylveon's stature, but he soon calmed and moved towards Randolph.

"You know, Randy, I really like you. And I love what you're doing for our rebellion. But sometimes, I wonder if you have a life outside the shop. I know you love your work, but how about we just go out, try and forget the conflict, okay? You know, we could go out to the beach, it's outside the wall and doesn't have any of the conflict!"

The Glaceon rubbed his forehead once again, then took one of Pepper's ribbons in his paw. "I suppose that could be good for me… Let's do it," he said solidly, and the ribboned Pokémon drew him in closer for a short kiss on the cheek.

The two exited the shop, and Randolph untied a wooden overhang that when closed, acted as a shutter on the counter. After, the Glaceon joined the eagerly awaiting Sylveon and they walked off together.

 **o - o - o - o - o**

Upon approaching the gate that closed the city off from the sea, one of the guards, high on the wall, inquired them this: "Halt! What is your business outside the city?"

Randolph looked up at the guard and gave an annoyed look, replying, "I'm a blacksmith! What do you think I'm doing?"

The guard shrugged and glared down in a condescending way.

"Harvesting some damn Shellstone, that's what! Come on, I'm the one making your weapons here!" Pepper had to hold back the writhing Glaceon.

A new voice entered the argument. "Actually, Randolph, I know for a fact it's quite the opposite." The angry ice type whirled around and faced a Scyther dressed in a captain's uniform.

Randolph looked to his side and saw the Sylveon bristling with anger beside him. Turning back to the green Pokémon, he inquired, "Do I know you?"

"I wouldn't imagine so, Randolph. But I happen to be informed of your disloyal habits to the king and his army. I've pieced together many occasions on which you weren't able to provide arms for the army. Maybe you were sick, your shop was closed, or you were out of the proper ore. You can't fool me, blacksmith. I'm going to get some personal evidence, and present it to the king," the Scyther snarled. He then took on an annoyed look. "However, I've brought this up to him before and he dismisses it, still believing he owes you a good deal."

"Owe me?" The Glaceon was puzzled. "Why would the king owe me? I've never met face to face with him."

The Captain sighed, and explained, "A few years ago, you were a blacksmith's apprentice, and you were out at some quarry inland. The young child of our King was playing out there at the time too, for some reason, and he fell into it. You saved him, and brought him back to the city, giving him to one of the guards. He remembered it, and now that he is king, he feels obligated towards you."

"Come to think about it, I do remember that… but I only rescued a child! If he's on the throne, then he mustn't be more than a youth. Why weren't the citizens informed of the king's death?"

The Scyther held a restrained look of rage, shook a bit, and commanded that the gate be opened before walking off muttering to himself. Puzzled at what had just happened, Randolph herded the raging Pepper through the open gate and quickly went off in the direction of the beach.

As soon as they had reached one of the many piers that occupied the beach, Pepper let out a frustrated yowl and shoulder charged one of the supporting beams. Surprisingly, the wood beam shuddered, and splintered, creating a sag on the pier. The Sylveon turned to Randolph, and teary-eyed, choked out, "He's the reason!"

The Glaceon cautiously came closer and put his arms on Pepper's shoulders, saying slowly, "Who? Who is the reason for what?"

Pepper shuddered, and let his shoulders droop. Tears fell freely from his eyes, and his mood went from angry to depressed. "The Scyther… Captain Mugskale. He's the reason my parents are gone," he breathed hollowly, and let the words sink in. "They couldn't pay their taxes, and he ordered their execution. I was too young when it happened… I can't even remember their voices. But I know it was Mugskale. I'm going to kill him. That's why I joined Indigo."

"Wait," Randolph interjected. "I'm getting a lot of new information. What's Indigo?"

Breathing out, Pepper responded, "Hmm, well I'll explain it the long way so others don't have to. When the old king came into power and began corrupting the government with his advisors, the people of Seafree split into two groups; the loyalists and the Resistance. You already know about the loyalists, and how they just remained loyal to the king. The resistance was a bit more complicated." Pepper spoke, his mood changing a bit more. "I joined the resistance only a month after my parents died, and still being a child, I wasn't taken seriously. However, I grew up in the resistance when things began to change."

Randolph walked along the beach, Pepper following. "Change how?" Randolph asked.

"The resistance faced a period of confusion and what the goal of it all was. Many were tempted to abandon, but that's when our young Commander Tiberius stepped in with a few of his trusted comrades. He saw we had no central goal, so he decided to make three of them for us. They were; to beat back the force of the army; to erase the names of our oppressors; to show our foes the fire of our rebellion. Those of the first mantra belonged to the Vanguard Unit. Those of the second, Indigo Unit, and those of the third, the Central Force."

"So you erase people's names?"

"No no no, Indigo works undercover to take out high priority or status individuals without drawing much attention to themselves. It's another reason I joined the group, Mugskale has been my priority target for years," the Sylveon said scornfully.

Randolph placed his paws Pepper's arms carefully. Carefully, he squeezed, and locked eyes with him. "You won't be able to defeat him alone, you crazy Sylveon," he said, and before Pepper could retort, he added, "But with me at your back, you're unstoppable, got that?"

Pepper trembled in his grasp, then turned, brushing off Randolph's arms. "You don't understand. I have too much enmity with him to just let someone carry me all the way. I'm not young anymore either, and I can take care of myself."

Randolph walked after the negative aura, and began, "You know it's true, Pepper. There's no way you can touch any of the King's court members. They're too high, they-"

"Shut up Randolph!" Pepper turned around furiously and snarled at the blacksmith, who stumbled back at the verbal blow. "It doesn't matter that you're seven years older than me, ten or twenty! You've seen things, but you haven't seen what I have! So just let me kill Mugskale, I don't need you or Indigo."

Pepper stomped off down the beach, leaving a wounded Glaceon in his wake.

o - o - o - o - o


	2. Chapter 2: The Central Force

**Hey readers, Lamp here.**

 **IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE : I realize I failed to mention something important, and that important detail is this: The Pokémon in this story do not have special abilities as they do in the games and anime. That is my special twist on the story. At best, a normal Pokémon will feel at home in their element, but it won't stop an ice type from being cold, or a fire type getting dehydrated in heat. There are exceptions though, but they are mostly based on attributes a Pokémon has naturally. For example, a Sylveon still has complete control over its ribbons, and a Scyther can still slash with its claws. ****But most pokemon rely on weapons to fight for their reliability in most situations, which is why I've chosen to center my story on the provider of such weapons.**

 **-Response to "Joshy": First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to observe flaws in my story! In response to your findings, I'm going to try not revealing too much about the king's court, but just enough to help with understanding. In the dialogue between Randolph and Mugskale, the military officer lets his tongue slip about how the old king is dead, and the new king is his child, though this is not public knowledge. It is a safe assumption to say that out of respect for their old king, the court listens to his heir and doesn't put any orders above his head. The young king knows Randolph has saved his life and doesn't wish to cast away the debt he owes the blacksmith. Being young can lead to stubborn decisions, such as the young king's wish to leave the Glaceon unscathed, and so without the proper evidence of direct disloyalty, the young king sees to Randolph's protection. This isn't to say the entire court agrees with the young king, but they wish to honor the memory of the old king. Please continue to help even out the roughness!**

 **Chapter two is up, and I've gotten a head start on three. Enjoy!**

 **I do not own Pokémon.  
**

o - o - o - o - o

It was evening when Randolph returned to the gates after finding only one of the rare shiny ores he was looking for. After a brief argument with the guard, the door opened and he entered Seafree.

Patrolling the streets, he looked around the passing Pokémon until he came upon a blacksmith shop with a red tarp over it. He leaned in and saw a sweaty Charmander dipping a crudely curved blade into a trough of water. Loudly, he let the Shellstone he was carrying clatter on the counter, and seeing the small orange Pokémon look up, he said, "Hey Teag! Can you bring this to your dad and have him smelt it down into small bars for me?" He finished by dropping about fifteen pieces of the currency onto the ore.

"Sure thing, Mr. Randolph!" The enthusiastic reply caused a smile to appear on the Glaceon's face.

Moving in closer, he leaned over the counter and brought his pouch closer. "Teag, I found something on the beach earlier, it may pique your interest."

The Charmander's eyes lit up, and he gazed at the pouch, asking, "What is it?"

Randolph took something by the handle out of his bag, and produced what looked like a sword hilt and handle, with the blade broken off. It was stained dark by sea water, and algae grew on the pommel. "Take a closer look at what remains of the blade," he advised and passed it to the young apprentice.

After examining it, Teag visually quivered, and his eyes shot up to meet the other's. "Glass fragments! And not just window glass, either. It's tinted slightly red and broke into square-shaped chunks. Do you think…?"

"It definitely is," Randolph replied. "It's a Blood sword, belonging to the-"

"The Knights of the Life Force!" The Charmander's interruption earned a look of pretend anger, but the little lizard went on, "The old scrolls say that the blades couldn't be shattered by anything except for when turned on their owners, and then it's a fatal wound! I wonder what the story behind this one is? Maybe some epic pirate battle, huh?"

Randolph was about to reply when a looming figure behind his friend caught his tongue. From behind Teag, out stepped a large Charizard. "Randolph," the word came out as a hollow grow.

"H-Hi, Kell. I was dropping off a chunk of Shellstone, could ya smelt it down?" The Glaceon took a step back, slightly averting his eyes.

Ignoring him, the dragon looked down at his son, saying strictly, "Don't entertain him." He turned back to Randolph, who was looking up with a blank look. "Don't fill my son up with your stories," he said, reaching up to the wall and bringing down an axe with a blade larger than the blue Pokémon's body.

"Yeah, got it. It won't happen again, sir," Randolph muttered, backing up slightly.

A large orange snout came out of the shop, and it growled menacingly, "Don't forget, I was your mentor, Randolph. Don't go thinking about making my son your apprentice." With that, Kell's growl faded into the back of his shop, and the Glaceon scampered off, listening to the fading complaints of Teag.

As he wandered off, memories of Randolph's youth plagued his head. _Being an apprentice for Kell… Jeez, I can't remember if those were good times or not. Sure, he taught me to be the best smith I could with my type condition, but he also did things to me. Not good things._

 _Flashback_

 _The clanking of metal filled the early morning air. Too early, perhaps. "I've been… at the forge since last morning… sir," a gasping voice belonging to a teenage Glaceon scraped the crisp air. "As a… Glaceon… I can get seriously injured, sir."_

 _It was met by a harsher voice, belonging to a thirty-year-old Charizard. "You'll stop when I tell you to, you pathetic ice type. Who even let you become a blacksmith?"_

" _My father… is a Flareon, sir," the voice wheezed. Visually, he was stumbling around with a hot piece of steel in a pair of prongs, aiming for a trough of water to douse it in. "He was also… a blacksmith, sir."_

 _Hot breath, in comparison to the forge, covered the back of his neck, and he shuddered. "Well try and take after him. If you mess up one more blade, I'll make sure it's not just your arms that are sore," the Charizard growled, his claws tracing up and down the smaller Pokémon's back. Randolph shuddered, and Kell cackled, continuing to assault the poor Pokémon's ears with harsh words._

 _End flashback_

Randolph shook his head. There was no way Kell could make up for all the grief he had inflicted upon him both mentally and physically. He just hoped Teag's spirit would be okay under the teaching of his father.

Evening came, and along his way, he stopped outside of The Melting Snowball, the tavern known for being a safe spot for resistance members. "I could go for a drink," he said to himself and stepped inside. "Maybe some good company as well." He hadn't forgotten about the fit Pepper had.

Upon entering, he picked up the sound of drunken singing down the bar and saw a dangerous looking bunch huddled at a table in the corner. He decided to sit at the bar with a few other sober folks. Within a few seconds, the bartender came over and greeted him. "Hey, I'm Chip, a Pangoro, and the bartender here. Can I get you a drink?"

Looking at the prices on the wall, he quietly murmured, "These things could cost me half a sword…"

"If that's the case," a voice came from behind him, and its owner sat down next to him. "Give us a few mugs of Ice and Dragon. On my tab!" The voice belonged to a Typhlosion not much larger than the Glaceon himself.

Two mugs, one with blue frothy liquid and the other a faint red were placed in front of them, the Pangoro saying, "Your tab's the only reason this place hasn't been seized yet, T-bone."

 _T-bone?_ "Pick your poison, young sir," the Typhlosion bellowed. Hesitantly, Randolph took the one with frothy blue liquid and took a gulp. Cool and sharp sensations met his taste buds, then the signature heat of alcohol kicked in, and he was gagging.

The fire type patted Randolph's back, and laughed heartily, picking up the other mug, downing the red liquid in a single strong draught. After recovering, Randolph wiped the froth from his mouth, and looked up at the Typhlosion, and grunted, "I'm twenty-six. Young sir is not much of a suitable title."

Almost at once, The Typhlosion's face lost all playfulness, and he turned sober. Stoically, he asked, "A title like… Resistance Blacksmith? Is that suitable?" The bar quieted down at the Pokémon's words.

"I'm not that surprised you figured me out, this is a resistance friendly tavern, after all," Randolph commented, taking another swig of the liquid. His cheeks shone red, but he managed to hold back any gagging.

"Aren't you keen, Randolph. You're an asset to us, and I'd expect no less intellect than from my best men. We just don't know how to show you we appreciate your support," the Typhlosion said slowly.

The blacksmith became a bit bamboozled at the sudden interest, but settled for saying, "Who are you?"

"You might have heard Chip call me T-bone, but that's just a nickname," the blue and beige Pokémon stated. "My name is Tiberius, surely a name you've heard of."

At that moment, Randolph got off of his stool and bowed deeply to the Typhlosion. "Excuse my manners, sir! I had no idea I was talking to a Pokémon with such a high rank!"

A chuckle came from Tiberius, and he said, "Get up, Blacksmith. There's no need for a bow, at least, not here." Randolph obeyed and retook his seat. "As I was saying, I am Tiberius, the face, and leader of the Resistance. My base of operations is here in the Melting Snowball, and it's quite the good base too. Backrooms and trapdoors, secret tunnels and rooms, the whole package."

"Your base is a tavern?" The Glaceon was only in the slightest confused.

"That's right, and we've kept it secret from the Loyalists for years. It's not suspicious at all, and we get our fair share of normal civilians in here as well, the ones who aren't interested in the conflict," Tiberius added, motioning for Chip to refill his flagon.

"I… really? I've only known this place to be a haven for resistance soldiers to lay low! How could I have not seen it? My shop is just up the street, too," the Glaceon spoke. He sloshed around the Ice drink, then put it down lightly. Putting on his most determined face, he asked, "How may I be of help to the Resistance?"

"Keep doing what you're doing, Randolph," came the smooth reply. "Continue making swords and other weapons to the best of your ability. I'm going to put some soldiers scattered near your shop so if there's ever an issue, or you need help, it can be resolved," Tiberius answered, taking a freshly poured Dragon and tilting it back into his throat.

Randolph digested the information and nodded to himself. "I'll keep up my best, sir. And I'll make use of the soldiers you assign me, thank you for your generosity," he said, bowing his head. He managed to gulp down the rest of the blue drink, then got up from his seat. "I think I'm gonna go back to the shop now, sir. I'm a bit… sleepy." He stumbled to the door, turning as he did, and said, "Thank you, sir!"

Tiberius laughed as the lightweight Glaceon teetered back to his shop. "Another one, Chip," he ordered, putting down his empty mug. "I have a good feeling about tonight. Things may go as planned."

The Pangoro let a faint sneer shine from his stoic face. He growled, "You better hope it does. I'm not worried about Toby's troops, but Indigo has me on edge. They haven't been communicating with us as of late."

"Chip, Chip, Chip. You forget, we have you, me and _him_ on our side."

"But we don't know if he'll show! He doesn't respond to the messenger Pidgies we send his way, and he really doesn't like daylight."

"Then for as long as the night lasts, we'll have to make use of him, right? And who knows, maybe he'll mind our soldiers this time," Tiberius remarked, sipping on his drink. "We've wasted enough time, go round up the Vanguard and meet me outside the King's castle. We'll see if Indigo plays their part, too. If they don't, I can fill in the holes."

Chip narrowed his eyes but turned to get out of the bar. After chatting with a few of the straggling bar members, they followed him out of the tavern. The Typhlosion watched the tavern clear out, then drank the rest of the alcoholic beverage. He hopped off the stool, leaving it teetering slightly unbalanced. The tavern was empty by the time it hit the ground.

o - o - o - o - o


	3. Chapter 3: The Hole

**Hey readers, Lamp here. I know it looks bad to have your third chapter up late and inconsistent, but I do prioitize my real life problems over virtual ones. Sorry if anyone may have thought it was over or anything. Make sure to give me any feedback you deem necessary!**

o - o - o - o - o

It was early dawn, and most of the city was quiet, save some early birds. Then, there was an explosion. One that woke the deaf, and caused a tremor to run through the town.

Jolted awake by the noise and quake, Randolph rolled out of his straw bed, rubbing his head groggily. Hearing faints yells from outside, he quickly clothed himself and dashed outside the forge. He looked around and saw several neighboring Pokémon rushing outside as well. Some were pointing to the castle, and he searched for what they looked at. By the faint morning light, the castle was illuminated slightly. Randolph froze up, and his eyes locked onto what the people were pointing at. On the side of the great castle of Seafree was a huge blackened hole. Flames licked out of the hole hungrily, almost as if they were alive.

Distant screams filled the Glaceon's ears, and with feeling a rising dread, he dashed down the road towards the castle. Countless Pokémon poured out onto the street as he made his way, and he struggled to get past them. Just ahead, he could make out a clearing. He broke for it, and reaching it, paused to catch his breath. He gathered his bearings and found himself at the gate to the road that led up to the castle, and on the pathway, there was quite the scene uphill.

Randolph strained his eyes to see what was going on, but he soon caught on. A hoard of Resistance warriors was moving back down the path, and a squad of the castle's soldiers was driving them back, weapons at the ready. All of a sudden, the rebels seemed to coordinate something, because the group sped away from the castle some distance, leaving three Pokémon to fend off the troops. It's Tiberius, Chip, and Toby!

The three all had their swords drawn and were slashing and parrying attacks from their enemies. The fleeing group of rebels was safe for now, running away behind the iron wall the three made. Drat me for not bringing a hood! Randolph plunged into the crowd and stole a cloak off someone's back, and before he could get caught, he dashed back to the gate with the hood up, waving his arms and screaming for the rebels to come his way. His voice rang out, "Over here! I can help!"

The warriors acknowledged the cloaked Glaceon and quickly came over. A few of them showed wounds, but were struggling on. "We need to get to the tavern or one of the other safe houses, but they're too far in our state," an unwounded one said.

Randolph surveyed the area, and pushed through the crowd to an alley. In the alley was a cart full of straw and a pitchfork. He dumped the straw, and wheeled it back to Resistance soldiers. "Put your wounded in here," he said while grabbing the pitchfork. "I'm going to help the three up there." Without waiting for an answer, he turned back to the road, and sprinted up the raod coming in from a diagonal angle, pitchfork pointed forward. The combat got closer, and at his odd angle, he drove the pitchfork into a castle guard. "Throw your swords and run," he gasped to the three fighters.

Without hesitation, Tiberius backed up and launched his sword into the head of another guard, while Toby and Chip flung theirs with no target in mind. This earned a clutter of weapons and panicked voices as the troops tried to dodge the flying blades. The four of them high tailed it, and proceeded to tumble out of the main gate. With great strength, Chip began closing one of the gates, Toby and Tiberius to the other. With effort, it shut with a slam, and they wormed their way into the crowd, earning shouts and screams from the bystanders.

Quickly, they made their way back to the tavern, where the four encountered several rebels hanging about. After a brief chat with one of them, Tiberius stepped in, motioning the others to follow him. As Randolph passed, he patted him on the back, saying, "Good thinking, Randolph." Despite the close encounter they had just gotten through, the Glaceon swelled with pride for a brief moment.

Once safely inside the tavern, Tiberius gasped, and slumped on a wall. He removed a garment he had on his upper body, revealing a large slash across his chest. His pants came out raggedly, and he pulled Chip down to his level, whispering something to him. Chip nodded, and facing up, commanded, "Someone get Asclepius!"

An uninjured warrior dashed through a door in the back of the room. As they did so, Randolph's eyes drifted around the tavern, then let his eyes rest on a corner of the bar. He almost missed it, but there they were- the dangerous looking group. Their eyes stared with a vicious glee. Spooked, Randolph turned to Toby and asked him about them. "Them? Those are the Wardens… none of us are too sure what they are, or if they're even Pokémon. But they serve a clear purpose, and that is to fight. We've seen their weapons a few times, but never in action."

Before the Glaceon could ask more, there was a bang from the backdoor, and turning, he saw a Delibird with a pack making his way to Tiberius. With a sick sensation, Randolph saw that the Typhlosion's wounds weren't closing any faster, the entire front of his chest was soaked with blood, and he bore a woozy face. Tiberius moaned, "Hey Doc…"

Not bothering to respond, the Delibird quickly dug into his pack, and pulled out a small bowl and various plants. One of the roots he pulled out, and giving it to Chip, he said, "Make T-bone eat this." He pulled out a grinding rod, and began mashing all the plant material together. From his bag, he pulled out a crystal the size of a small rock, and began the slow process of grating it into the plant mash.

While this was going on, the root seemed to take an effect on Tiberius, and his tongue flopped out of his mouth. A faint smile crept across his lips. The Delibird's voice came again, ordering, "Go wash his wound and chest off with clean water." He was carried off, and the 'Doc' continued grinding the crystal into the mix.

All the while, Randolph stood just outside the action, still sick to his stomach at the sight and smell of the blood. The crystal had been thoroughly ground in, and the bowl's contents had taken on a green color, the Glaceon noticed, and along with that, it became shiny.

Within a few minutes, Tiberius was brought back by Chip. He was clean for the moment, but as the seconds went by, fresh blood stained his chest. The Delibird approached him with the bowl, and began scooping up handfuls of it and spreading it on the large wound. Even with the numbing plant In his system, Tiberius growled and kicked. The much larger Pangoro held his body firmly, and prevented any more spasms while the Delibird did his work. After the green mixture had made a layer on top of the Typhlosion's chest, the doctor stepped back.

The Delibird took out a heavy roll of bandage material, and began the process of wrapping his patient's torso. Randolph became more reassured by the doctor's treatment, and he spoke, "Hey, um, doctor, I know a few values of herbs and plants, but what does the crystal do?"

The Delibird finished his wrapping, and turned to look at the Glaceon. "It's Asclepius, but everyone calls me Doc. As for the crystal, it possesses certain properties that I believe were essential to my operation."

"Ones that couldn't be achieved with plants?"

"No, I could've gotten the same effect with another mixture, but this crystal, in particular, has the property to neutralize infection and evil residue without damaging Tiberius," Doc stated.

"That's not…" Randolph paused. "That's not magic, is it?"

"Not on the level you may be thinking of," the Delibird glanced up. "I'll give you a small summary of this caliber of magic. The magic you might think of is fantastic spells and spell caster related things, which doesn't exist except for in myth. Our world's magic is based on nature and rules."

"Sorry, what?"

"Nature, and rules. They are the two ways that we experience the magic. They are shown through items imbued with magic that have rules to them, and certain Pokémon who have harnessed the power of nature," Doc said, and pulled out a dark red crystal from his bag. "This crystal is imbued with magic rules that tell it to heal burns, abrasions, and numb pain. The crystal's only purpose is to perform those functions since that was the type of magic imbued upon it."

Randolph nodded, and watched as Doc put the crystal back into his bag. "What about Pokémon who have learned to harness nature?" He got a sharp look at this question.

"There are many names for these Pokémon. Wizards, druids, shaman, mages, monks, bards, sorcerers… you get the point. Their specialty is to have developed such a strong bond with nature that in turn, they become part of nature a bit. With that bond, they can access special abilities corresponding with whatever part of nature they bonded with. For example, someone who bonded in a lake or ocean may be able to breathe underwater or turn liquid into ice. Or someone who has bonded near a volcano could control temperature around them or be able to stand the heat of lava."

"Oh, I see. Do you know any?" The sharp glare returned upon Randolph's question, and he closed his mouth.

The Delibird stood, packed his belongings, and turned. "Nice meeting you," he said solemnly, then walked back out through the back door.

A large paw came down on the Glaceon's shoulder, and he looked up to see Chip smiling grimly at him. "You might be wondering why Doc's moody about the topic of wizards, huh," the Pangoro said. Randolph nodded. "Well, a while ago, Doc got outperformed in his own field by a Shaman called Dancer. Where Doc took an hour to put a broken bone in its place and bond it, Dancer could heal the bone properly in half the time. He doesn't seem the type, but he got extremely offended and began holding a personal grudge against any he met, despite their rarity."

"That doesn't seem fair that he judges all wizards based off only one experience," Randolph said, rubbing his face. "You never know who'll come along."

"That's a good heart you got, Randolph," Chip smirked. "But there is one sorcerer who I'd rather not try and befriend."

Curiously, the Glaceon asked who it was.

"The sorcerer who I'd rather not see again is an Entei, self-titled Warlock. Warlock is a good example of what I'd call a corrupted wizard. Tiberius says that during his process of bonding, he exposed himself too greatly and too long to a volcano, which had detrimental effects. His body became more nature than Pokémon, magically. The effects were as such: He could call up great tongues of flame and shake the earth, but in return, he would be mortally injured if exposed to fire, and the sun would burn him," Chip said solemnly.

Randolph scratched his chin thoughtfully, saying, "So… Warlock, a wizard who could shake the earth and call up a great fire. Did you hear the tremor this morning? And did you see the hole in the castle? Do you think-?"

"Tiberius. He wanted to have more power on his side during the night, so he called on Warlock. I was very skeptical about it, and you know, the night doesn't last forever, so when we turning the tide of battle, the sun came up. Once the sun came up, Warlock screamed and exploded, causing the tremor and hole in the castle. None of us think he's dead, he has just wandered off for a little while, taking time to heal."

"Speaking of time to heal, do you think the government and army are going to give us a chance to do that? It's possible that loyalists could have seen the huge group of rebels heading in here."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, Randolph. But it's maybe noon right now, and everyone is resting. You look like you could use it as well." Randolph gave Chip a sour look.

"Don't give me that, you really need it! Don't worry about outside either, the wardens will fend off attackers for a time, and alert us all."

"I mean, I guess I could use a rest," the Glaceon said, his sleep had been fitful the night before. "I'm just a little uneasy."

"No worries, I'm laying out a mat next to all the other resting warriors," the Pangoro said quietly, motioning to a few rows of sleeping or resting Pokémon. "My mat is big, and you'll feel safe, so come sleep with me. Come on," he said, grabbing Randolph's paw and pulling him through the sleeping fighters. Chip went and got his mat, which proved to be pretty big, and laid it out. He sat down, and unfurling a large blanket, patted the spot next to him.

Randolph hesitantly sat down, then lay down under the blanket. He looked over to Chip, who was getting settled. After a minute, they were both laying on their backs, looking up at the rafters. Quiet snores and mumbling almost lulled Randolph to sleep, but he was snapped out of it by the Pangoro looking over and saying, "H-Hey, it's a bit cold, can ya scoot closer to me?" The Glaceon scooted closer. "A bit more?" Closer. "One last scoot?" Randolph scooted until his back was pressed up against the belly of the Pangoro.

"Strange for you to ask an ice type for warmth," Randolph snorted, and nestled down into the mat. "Though I'm not truly cold-blooded," he yawned, and enjoying the Pangoro's warmth, he nodded off, not even noticing the big black arm wrapping around his stomach.

o - o - o - o - o


End file.
